


SHOWDOWN

by StarWars1977



Category: Star Wars - The Original Trilogy
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 21:49:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5760103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarWars1977/pseuds/StarWars1977
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The group goes to a cantina for  a time of relaxation and Han has to confront someone from his past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	SHOWDOWN

Han, Luke, Leia, Lando and Chewbacca shouldered their way through the rowdy

crowd which populated the small, dingy, port-city cantina, as they tried to find an 

out-of-the-way table to accommodate them all. The room was cave-like, dark

and hazy.

Leia wrinkled her nose in disgust and covered one ear with the palm of her hand to

muffling the driving, primitive, nearly overpowering drumbeat of the bawdy band. With the

other she pushed away the hands and tentacles that reached out to grab at her as she and her 

friends moved slowly toward a back booth.

"What an awful place!" She commented loudly, throwing a scathing look at Han's back.

"Yeah," Lando agreed, surveying the room. He'd seen the inside of many disreputable

places, but nothing like this. The bar was lined with nearly every conceivable form of life,

all obviously intoxicated, but still eagerly downing the various liquids served up by the

bartender. Couples huddled in corners and booths while others swayed dance-like to

the pulsing music. 

"You sure know how to pick 'em." Lando threw at Han.

"No pick to it," Han answered the jibe as he stopped at an empty corner booth and

waited while the others scooted into their seats.

"This is the ONLY place around here to get a drink, and I NEED one. I didn't hear

anyone complain when I mentioned the idea, did I ?" No one answered. Han and

Chewbacca seated themselves last on each end of the booth, their customary positions

in places such as this; always ready, in case trouble decided to pay a call.

"It's awfully dark in here." Leia said, straining to see through the shadows and smoke.

Han leaned back, "Some of these guys would say it's too light for the sort of business

they carry on."

"Like what?" The Princess asked, then quickly amended; "Never mind," when she

saw a wicked smile cross the Corellian's face. She knew it would amuse him to embarrass

her in front of the others, "I don't think I really want to know."

"This remind me of the cantina in Mos Eisley, where Ben and I first met you." Luke

said, speaking for the first time since they'd arrived.

"That was a long time ago, " Han replied, "I'm almost surprised you remember."

"Yeah," Skywalker answered wistfully, thinking back.

A grotesque, barely dressed and distinctly female life being server slithered to

their booth.

"And what will you have?" She asked, eyeing Solo as if he were the only one seated at the

table. Brazenly, she slid one hand along his shoulders and across his chest; catching Leia's

shocked and annoyed reaction. Han grinned, but removed the server's hand and held it away to 

avoid further 'exploration'. 

"Just bring two bottles of Zahmeon and five glasses and we'll do the rest." He folded 

currency into her hand before releasing it.

She examined it appreciatlvely, and leaned over, virtually lip-to-lip with him.

"You want anything else, you know where I am." She turned, then, and slithered to the bar

to fill the order.

"Well," Lando broke the sudden awkward silence with a teasing laugh, "no one would

know you'd never been here before."

"His reputation preceeds him." Leia spat. Even though their relationship had changed,

she still didn't quite know what to make of Han's dubious past.

Han refused to be bated; he knew they were all tired and irritable and apt to snap

at imagined slights. "Look, I just want to have a drink and unwind. We've been through

a lot today. But, if you want to go back to the ship, go ahead."

"And leave you to the likes of HER? " Leia nodded toward the bar. "Not on your life".

"I think we should celebrate." Luke interrupted, attempting to raise their sunken

morale. "I admit, it wasn't easy getting those supplies, but we did it."

Chewbacca woofed in agreement.

"Who'd've thought we'd still have to work undercover for the Alliance!" Lando said.

"After all, Vader and the Emperor are dead...it should be over." 

Realizing what he said, the black man gave Luke a sympathetic glance. 

"Sorry, kid."

Skywalker nodded in understanding.

"There are still some sections of the galaxy that hate the Rebellion."

Leia went on, "and this place is one of them. You have to admit, some areas prospered

quite well under the Emperor's rule; Verinaze is one of them. Now, this planet's

got to start all over again, and that's hard for anyone to accept. They're bitter.

It'll take time to win them over. Until then, we have to move cautiously."

Han nodded in silent agreement, though the look in his eyes said that he

was thinking of more than the Alliance, or Verinaze. He was remembering, quite

clearly, the time that he had to start his own life all over again.

At the bar, a young man watched intently as the sultry server took a full tray

from the counter and made her way to the back booth. Raising a glass to his lips, he drank

eagerly of the firey, bittersweet liquid. He continued to watch every movement of the

female as she placed the glasses and bottles before the customers. From his own bottle,

he refilled his glass and again drank thirstily. He watched the exchange of conversation

between the server and the customers -- especially the spacer seated on the end of the

booth-- He KNEW that man! Fire surged through his veins as he came to the full 

realization of who that spacer was and what he now HAD to do.

"Another bottle." He rasped to the barkeep. The scruffy man eyed the youth 

skeptically, but produced a full bottle when currency was laid on the counter.

His business was making money, not worrying about the sobriety of young fools

who didn't have the sense to know when to stop.

The young man's hands shook unsteadily as he downed several more drinks.

He wasn't drinking to steady his nerves, his fuzzy mind reasoned, but to numb himself against what he was going to do......to finish.

Realizing that time was passing, perhaps even running out, he finally took

a deep breath and squared his shoulders as he slid off the barstool. 

Walking slowly to the back booth, he never took his eyes off the spacer. The drumbeat

became a pounding pulse within him, growing stronger and stronger until he couldn't

extinguish it from his own heartbeat. He burned with a confidence and purpose that

was bolstered by the contents of the two bottles he'd downed. Stopping less than a meter

from the booth, he called to the man he recognized.

"Solo."

All conversation at the table stopped as Han turned and looked at the one who'd called

his name. He eyed the young man; from the slightly unkempt hair, his handsome features 

and common deck clothes. Han particularly noted the presence of a blaster, strapped to his

left thigh. The young man was fingering the leather, absently. Dismissing him, Han turned 

back to his companions.

"SOLO!!" The persistent young man called louder. Nearby patrons looked their way,

curiously.

Han turned again. Luke and Leia looked at each other while Lando nodded to Chewbacca.

"Yes", The Corellian answered, draining his glass and calmly set it on the table.

"We have some unfinished business." The youth flexed his shoulders.

A frown knit Calrissian's brow. The boy was a good ten or twelve years younger than

Han, he'd have been a kid, years ago, when Han was making 'deals' and doing 'business'

with his likes.

"I have no business with you." Han told him.

"I say you do", the young man insisted. "And I'm calling you out to finish it."

Han smiled lazily, a camouflage to cover his alertness. "Use your head, kid, you don't 

want to do this."

The young man took a deep breath.

"You either fight me , or I'll kill you where you sit. I vowed along time ago to

take care of you for what you did to my family."

Leia looked at Han, concerned. She knew little about Han's past, and her imagination ran wild, 

hearing the young man's words. She hoped someone would stop this before it started;

no matter how cranky and irritable she'd been feeling, she couldn't bear the thought

of possibly losing Han in a senseless barroom brawl, not after all they'd lived through.

"Han....

" Stay out of this, Leia." He told her gruffly, not wanting her or any of the others to

get involved.

"It's been ten years, Solo", the youth went on. but I knew I'd find you one day."

"And you did." Solo answered. "Go home, kid. You're drunk. You don't know

what you're doing."

"You afraid to fight me? You're older, but maybe you're not as good as you used to be.

Is that it?"

"You don't want to find out." Han hissed. He still made no attempt to move.

Frustrated, the young man drew his blaster and aimed it straight at Leia.

Chewbacca growled, but Lando shook his head at the Wookie.

Sensing a confrontation, the nearby cantina patrons scattered.

"You fight me, Solo." He sneered between anger clinched teeth, "or your

pretty girl friend here will be the first to die for your cowardice."

Han looked up and into the boy's burning, dark eyes; he could see he meant

business. By threatening Leia, he had forced Han's hand.

"I don't want to do this." The Corellian said, rising slowly.

"Han!" Leia cried out in fear.

"Leave him alone," Lando interrupted, putting out one hand to keep her from rising.

"This is something he can't back down from." The Princess glared at him, but his very

serious expression stilled her.

His blaster still aimed squarely at Leia, the young man slowly back into the center

of the cantina, which had been cleared by curious beings. Han matched him step for step, until

they were alone on the floor, each illuminated by the faint light.

The boy holstered his weapon as Han flipped open the retaining strap on his own. Tension was

thick, and every breath could be heard in the sudden, dead silence.

"This is where justice if finally meted out, Solo, and family honor restored." The young spacer

declared. He spit the last words out like a curse from a doomed man's lips. "Good-bye... Han Solo,

...you'll never know what hit you."

In a split second that stopped eternity, both men drew and fired. 

Blinding light flashed, lighting the obscenely filthy cantina for one, painful moment.

Leia's screams echoed through the room.

Slowly, the noise of screams and blasts faded along with the light, leaving the lone survivor

standng in shadow.

Lando and Chewbacca quickly slid from the booth, making their way through the

now crowding patrons.

"Han!" Calrissian called as he pushed into the center of the room.

Solo stood rigid, his blaster still aimed.

"It's all over, buddy." Lando said roughly, rousing Solo from his near, trans-like state. 

"It's over."

Han holstered his blaster, mechanically. "I killed him." He said flatly.

"It was a fair fight," Lando insisted. "You had no choice." He understood what his

friend was feeling, it was never easy.

Han walked over to the fallen young spacer and stared at his still form for a long time.

Then, kneeling, he ran a rough hand along the curve of the boy's face.

"These hot-headed kids're always challenging someone to a fight." Lando spat, 

watching Han caress the spacer's cheek.

"They'll never learn you can't win just because you're carrying a grudge."

Lando watched in silence, then asked Han, "Did you know him?"

Han took a deep breath and raised his head. Lando saw deep anguish etched 

on his friend's tear-streaked face.

"He was my younger brother."


End file.
